Strong earthquake shakes central Indonesia

A strong earthquake has hit waters off central Indonesia, sending hundreds of residents fleeing their homes, but there are no reports of injuries or damage.

The US Geological Survey says the epicentre of Tuesday's 5.8-magnitude quake was 140 kilometres from Yogyakarta, a bustling city still traumatised by a 2006 tremor that killed 5700 people.
In recent weeks, the city has been showered by ash from the nearby Mount Merapi volcano, which has killed at least 386 people since bursting back to life on October 26.

Advertisement: Story continues below Resident Simon Sudarman said many people fled their homes on Tuesday.
Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald